for dog lovers

Are you looking for information or help related to pets in Andalucia. Post your questions and advice about domestic pets, veterinary services, legal issues.
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fearfulfred
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for dog lovers

Postby fearfulfred » Sun May 11, 2008 7:25 am

Hola

Well our poor dog has been through the wringer again. 5 years ago he lost a leg and last fall had to have a knee operation due to torn ligaments(6 months recuperation for that one) . Yesterday we took him for a walk in the Montes de Malaga Park. Generally we walk along the road with him, but yesterday the air was so clear we went on a footpath we rarely use. Our walk takes about 40 minutes and towards the end of it we noticed the dog was a bit slower than usual. Once home he started to vomit and it quickly became shaking and inability to stand, followed by diarrhea and continued retching and shaking. Of course we bundled him into the car and took him to the local vet clinic (*beep* store and veggie store) . The vet only works two days a week but that day was still in Malaga for at least another 90 minutes. The lady at the counter gave us a map to the vet clinic in Malaga , and the fellow who sells the veg offered to come with us in the car and show us the way. At the clinic Tinker was given a tranquilizer , after we had been questioned as to symptoms and where he had been. He was then put on an IV drip and put in a kennel to sleep it off until , the drip had flushed out his system.
The clinic was not large or over equipped but they did a very professional job and called us in the evening to say he was doing very well and could be picked up this morning at 11.

From what we understood Tinker had eaten something that poisoned him. They did not think it was a plant, but rather that he had eaten something , dead animal possibly , that made him sick. As he was not on a lead we are not sure what he could have eaten. Just thankful that we had very helpful people around and that they could understand my very rudimentary Spanish .

Maybe someone has some idea on what he could have eaten as we would certainly like to avoid a recurrence.

Fred

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hillybilly
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Postby hillybilly » Sun May 11, 2008 8:56 am

Sorry to hear, hope he's ok this morning. To avoid in future...muzzle your dog at all times when off the lead it's the only way and is what I do.

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fearfulfred
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Postby fearfulfred » Sun May 11, 2008 9:07 am

Thanks Hilly

You're right ..he won't like it as the only time he's worn one is for the Air Europa flight here. They insist on dogs wearing one now, even though in a cage. Believe me I know as I had two taxi rides around Paris looking for one (or they would not let us on the flight) . I think we will go with a running lead as he actually loves the lead, we are more bothered by it than he. Still we were glad to hear that he was OK last night. They just wanted more time to make sure his system was completely flushed out. I also must go and thank the gentleman who came in the car with us as his help was invaluable.

Fred

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karandjon
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Postby karandjon » Sun May 11, 2008 4:13 pm

Fred, Iam so glad your dog is okay. The same thing happened to our dog last year. We still don´t know what he had eaten/touched.

Thoughts on this site led us to whether it could have been one of the poisinous toads.

With regards to a running lead, we now do this AND a muzzle. It only takes a second for him to put something from the ground into his mouth...and that could be it!I know it sounds harsh, but that is the reality. Our dog hated the muzzle for the first week or 2, but after that he now expects it, and when he sees it come off the coat hook he comes running up for it..as he knows its "walkies" time. :lol:
vino, sol y aire, y seras rico como nadie

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Postby geegee » Sun May 11, 2008 5:17 pm

Poor little mite, he does seem to get into scrapes! Could it be he has disturbed processionary catepillars??? Lots of pine trees in the montes de malaga, but the vet should have recognised the symptoms if it was...

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fearfulfred
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Postby fearfulfred » Sun May 11, 2008 6:48 pm

Thanks all
So nice that people are concerned. They let us have him at 11 , the vet opened the clinic so we could go and get him .
He is feeling like his old self , though we have been told to keep his food on the light side.
All kinds of things have gone through our heads. We even went back to where we had walked, and could see no signs of anything that may have done it. The vet seemed sure it was not vegetation ..but as my Spanish is very basic I am not sure exactly what he said. I will try to my dictionary next time. Tinker is seeing the vet Wednesday for some blood tests, just to be sure he is ok. I believe the vet thought he ate something (animal) that was either sick or poisoned itself.
Tinker himself is feeling normal..has been jumping up on the couch and begging for food and even had a little walk. So nice to have him back as his usual self. Thanks again

Fred

katy
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Postby katy » Sun May 11, 2008 8:25 pm

Really pleased it has all ended well. Frightening to think what may have happened.

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frog
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Postby frog » Sun May 11, 2008 11:13 pm

sorry to say it but many dogs have been poisoned lately in the mijas area by poison left by humans,one of my wifes customers dog died 2 months ago
they informed the police and wrote to the press but nothing can replace their dog

i keep mine on short leads all the time but i only really go in public places so if you are in the campo i guess a muzzle is a great idea

glad your dogs ok
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fearfulfred
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Postby fearfulfred » Mon May 12, 2008 6:53 am

karandjon

Been reading up on the caterpillars but we were some distance from the pines on the track we took . The toads sounds very similar to his symptoms but it is so dry up here at about 800+ meters that it is hard to imagine a toad. Still I would not be surprised to see it was something like that. I am really hoping that with dictionary in tow i will find out more on Wednesday. For the next month the OH will be away on business so I will be staying on the coast . Tinker will have his walks on the Paseo Maritimo for that time and we shall come up to the house only to water the garden etc. As the say all's well that ends well and he is his old self (still in bed though) we have been up for an hour.
Thanks for the concern everyone

Fred

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karandjon
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Postby karandjon » Mon May 12, 2008 7:58 pm

fearfulfred wrote:karandjon

Been reading up on the caterpillars but we were some distance from the pines on the track we took . The toads sounds very similar to his symptoms but it is so dry up here at about 800+ meters that it is hard to imagine a toad. Still I would not be surprised to see it was something like that. Fred
Yes, when i read your post it sounded like identical symptoms to our dog last year, and the vet thought that was a toad, though they gave him a jab to sick it up, only his dinner came up. They think he was lucky and had just licked/bit it, but not eaten any of it!
Like you, our vet was not there. It was a Sunday, I phoned the emergency mobile number and it put me in touch with a vets 40minutes away. hubby drove as quick as he could.i had pup and map in my lap-when we got the the town, we stopped at the first vets we saw as a lady was just closing a shutter. AFTER treatment we realised it wasnt the one i had phoned, but needs must and he was seen to very promptly, thankfully! I was told that had he eaten it nad he hadnt got to the vets within 20 minutes, he would have died! :cry:
vino, sol y aire, y seras rico como nadie

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fearfulfred
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Postby fearfulfred » Thu May 15, 2008 10:48 am

HI all

Well Tinker went to the vets yesterday afternoon and we took along a friend who speaks better Spanish than I. Blood tests were taken and the results this morning show everything is back to normal and all organs are functioning well. He is on a special food for another 3 days then resumes his regular food and habits. The vet said he thinks that the dog had found a small animal that was poisoned and ate it! So from now on he will be either on a lead or muzzle as he really doesn't wander the campo or even our fenced in land on his own. He is just too much a "people dog". Very nice to have him back to his usual self.

Fred

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Postby mirandamac » Thu May 15, 2008 11:10 am

Great news. I must admit I do worry about my 2 over here as they both have a tendency to eat everything so we usually keep them on long leads but would love to let them run more.


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